Yamaha Kt100 on 2040-parts.com

Insurance group lists its Top Safety Picks

After increasing its standards for 2011 models, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that 66 vehicles--more than double the 2010 total--rate as best in the industry at protecting passengers from front, side, rollover and rear crashes. Only 27 vehicles qualified last year after the group, funded by the insurance industry, required that vehicles pass a roof-strength test to earn a good rating, claiming that stronger roofs would reduce the risk of serious or fatal injury by 50 percent in a rollover accident. The most mentioned carmakers on the 2011 list are Hyundai/Kia and Volkswagen/Audi, both with nine vehicles to get the Top Safety Pick designation.

White remains most popular car color globally

Just this past Wednesday, while strolling through Porsche's Panamera/Cayenne assembly plant in Leipzig, we noticed a preponderance of white Pannies being constructed. According to paint supplier PPG, that should be no surprise. Since last year, it's been the top color here in the US, and Porsche's number one market is, of course, North America.

Toyota recalls the Lexus GX 460 SUV to upgrade stability software

Toyota on Monday said it is recalling about 9,400 copies of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 to update the stability-control software--just one week after Consumer Reports magazine warned that the vehicle was prone to oversteer in turns and urged its subscribers not to buy the vehicle. It's the latest in a series of gaffes that have damaged Toyota's reputation for high quality and led the automaker to recall millions of vehicles to fix problems such as sticking gas pedals. "Toyota's objective is to provide a high level of safety and quality, while meeting or surpassing governmental regulations," said Steve St.